Vygotsky vs Piaget

                I agree with both Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories of child development. I agree that all children go through Piaget’s stages, although the rate that this happens varies based on Vygotsky’s theory of social interaction. Vygotsky explains different factors that affect development such as social relations and the need for mentorship, where Piaget outlines the specified stages of cognitive development as well as the ways we organize information. Both theories are correct however I tend to see myself siding with Vygotsky’s theory of child development. In my future career as a teacher as well as my current job as a lifeguard instructor I use Vygotsky’s scaffolding and assessment approach, as well as his zone of proximal development theory. I think learning should be done collaboratively and that mentoring and scaffolding assistance is required for a child to fully grasp a new concept. I also agree that the advanced knowledge we have today was once originated from a very basic step that had to be built upon and practiced. I think the connections we make to friends and the support we get from parents, aids in cognitive development. We can have a superb amount of mental capacity but without adequate social interaction skills it can be under mined and underappreciated. Therefore I find social interaction a very important factor in not only aiding cognitive development but also in progressing as a valued member of society.

Film: Shyness

I think the film on shyness was very insightful, and I found it interesting how parents affect children’s lives so drastically.  I personally have had experiences with shy children in the swimming lessons I teach, and now realize how it is not just the children who are shy; it is the adult figures in their lives that produce shyness. I found that after watching the video I began interacting with the shy children in my classes more carefully with lots of support and encouragement.  This brought the children slightly out of their comfort zone which made them more comfortable with their skills in the water. I definitely agree that social interaction is an important factor in children’s lives, and by having positive and encouraging people in children’s lives, shyness can be lessened.

Stage of Cognitive Development

        When I was first presented with the stages of Piaget's cognitive development, I used my existing knowledge of the words to figure out what the stages meant before I actually knew what the stages were. For example: when I read sensorimotor, I split the word into two words: sensory and motor. By splitting the word I assumed that learning in this stage was done through our senses and movement. When I learned that this was what this stage entailed, it fit right into my existing schema of what this stage was.

Wise consumer's of information

I think the talk about wise consumers was very helpful. After I had learned about general tendencies people have when they watch documentaries, I re-evaluated my opinion on the Allison Cameron video seen in class. At first I was certain that I would try and integrate some of Allison’s techniques into my teaching. After the speech I realized that although I agree with Allison’s techniques, more studies have to be further made in order to establish greater results. Immediately after watching the video I generalized these techniques to work in all schools, and now I know this is a common mistake of consumers of information.